PETA said it’s “cracking open some cold ones” after Anheuser-Busch said it’s ending the practice of cutting the tails of Budweiser’s iconic Clydesdale horses.
Budweiser has featured the horses, with their ubiquitous white feathered legs, in its ad campaigns for decades, from the holidays to the Super Bowl. But the practice of “docking,” which is when the tail’s hair is cut short and which can result in parts of the tailbone being shaved off, has long been under fire from animal rights groups.
In a statement, Anheuser-Busch said “the practice of equine tail docking was discontinued earlier this year.”
“The safety and well-being of our beloved Clydesdales is our top priority,” a company spokesperson said.
Earlier this month, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and other animal rights groups sent a letter to the company requesting it “immediately prohibit the amputation” of the horses’ tailbones.
The American Veterinary Medical Association said the practice has become “cosmetically fashionable” in some breeds for competitions or shows. The association said it’s been widely suggested that veterinarians should not perform surgeries that are not medically necessary. At least ten states have banned the docking of horses’ tails, the AVMA said.
It’s another controversy for the beer brand, which lost its title as America’s top-selling beer in June following the backlash from transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney’s Instagram post showing off a customized Bud Light can.
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